Singapore’s success in managing the complexities of a multi-religious society rests on a clear commitment: the secular state protects freedom of religion, while keeping partisan politics free of sectarian mobilisation.

This commitment is not abstract. It is a practical guardrail that prevents political competition from becoming a religious or ethnic tug-of-war. It also warrants reaffirming, especially after the recent general election where questions of religious identity surfaced and reminded us why the secular foundations of our politics must remain firm.

Mathew Mathews is head of the Social Lab and principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore. Melvin Tay is a research fellow at the same institute.